From far away shores...there is always a final rest

My Great-Grandmother gave birth to my Nan just after arriving from Belfast, Northern Ireland, in 1925. My Nan left the shores of Australia just two times in her life - one trip was to New Zealand and the other was to Hong Kong. She lived in Brunswick, Melbourne, most of her adult life, after growing up in Rockley Road, South Yarra. She arrives at her final resting place tomorrow. I'll be there for you at 11am, Nan - through the sadness, there is some warmth of heart knowing you are next to Pop again...

xNess

Pride

I am on day two of changing some habits. No bread or bread products (just for a change), no alcohol and walking every day - these are my goals for this week. So far, all is well in the land of changing habits. I have decided that if I can't do these three things just for one week, I have issues! So I am making sure I am doing my utmost to keep to them and I am already feeling a little proud of myself...hurrah for goals and patting myself on the back (for once!)...

How on trend is this fabric? Oh yes, dear vintage fabric loving peeps, I have original 1980s British flag panels just RIPE for using as cushions or bags. Very mod, indeed...very punk, Vivienne Westwood, Doc Martens and mohawks. Yes, that was when this fabric was manufactured!

Yes, I am a nong

Can you please remind me not to test the oil in my enamel pot while it is heating up WITH MY FINGER?

Thanks.

That way I wouldn't have to be typing this one handed and I would still have a packet of frozen parsley in my freezer. I wouldn't have had to put the packet of frozen parsley in my jacket when I went for my promised walk. It's not fun walking with a finger in a packet of parsley while the other hand is fiddling wildly with an ipod I have forgotten how to use.

At least it got me out of doing the dishes and clearing the table.

The fabric has nothing to do with this post bar the fact it cheered me up!

Slow changes for the better

I have realised I don't put enough time and effort into myself - not my spirit or soul, but my actual body. I feed my brain with lots of interesting information, feed my soul with my way of living and feed my spirit with my hopes and dreams for the future and Buddhist ways. But my body - nah, forget about it. There's always something better to do.

But having a healthy body is what keeps everything else ticking. So it has to be a priority. Having recently found out about my arthritis of the lower spine I have changed my eating habits, thinking that would be enough. But I need to move more, there's no doubt about it. I have to be even healthier.

I need to start making promises to myself - I think I have forgotten how to do this, too. Over the years I have just got so accustomed to doing what I wanted with my body that I have forgotten how to really love it. It's just a body - when it should be 'it's THE BODY'. Without health I am nothing. And I don't impress myself with the way I (mis)treat it, either...I am disappointed in myself.

So, changes have to be made and promises have to be set. For this week that means a walk for 20 minutes every day, no bread or bread products and no alcohol. These seem like small changes, but to me they are profound ones. I would prefer not to walk and I love a scotch or two through the week. And removing bread from my diet is just my way of slowly altering what I put in my mouth and digest.

I am also being inspired by Vic from Punky and Me and Jodie at Jealousy is a Purse. I find their paths of improving their world - and the world around us - so very admirable.

Wish me luck!

It's a RAPP

We have finally started a project we have wanted to do for quite some time. We pride ourselves on being able to offer our buyers bolts and larger pieces - but there are a lot of customers who only want smaller pieces of vintage fabrics.



Our swatch and scrap packs - not to mention our remnant range - are always so very popular. But I wanted to take it one step further. I wanted buyers to be able to make their own remnant and pack collection.



So today Retro Age Project Pieces was born - yay! These fabrics are all off-cuts from bolts or other pieces and have been cut and ironed, ready for sale. They range in size and price - starting at just $1 (and I think I can get cheaper!).



There are some beauties we've already put up and there is so much more to come - bits and bobs from the 1880s-1940, especially. Keep an eye out if you want smaller pieces!

There was a lot of this...

Today was a bit of this. Thank you to the fence and it's spider resident for keeping the sun out of my eyes.









And a bit - actually, a lot! - of this. And inbetween there were poached eggs on toast with mushrooms, garlic prawns with rice and salad and, well....lots of thinking. More to come soon on that!

Warming our hearts

Slowly, but ever so surely, time marches on. Before we know it we will have Spring warming our days and balmy twilight evenings once again. After the recent arthritis diagnosis I have now returned to my usual self, delighting in small things throughout the day and enjoying life as much as I ever did. But I fear it's all going to quickly, so I am trying to stop and enjoy as much as possible. But with a business and a family and a normal in-and-out-of-home life, it is very hard to truly stop and truly enjoy. For just one minute tonight I did it. I looked out of my kitchen window and saw the sun setting over my magnolia and I fell in love with the colours. So after fetching my camera and taking some shots I allowed myself some quiet time to soak up those wonderful, beautiful hues. I hope they warm your heart, too...

xNess

PS. Happy weekend, all!

Hanging out on a busy limb...

Gosh - super busy day today with viewing some fabrics, talking for two hours to some fashion-y types and then wrapping our vintage fabric loving hearts out to catch up with the overnight orders. Phew - we got there, too! But now I am oh so tired and in need of some chilling out...very satisfied chilling out, I have to say....

More fabric up on the site tomorrow - I just couldn't squish in the time today!

xNess

The answer to the front or back? - and vintage fabrics

Yesterday I decided to have a bit of Tuesday fun and asked you whether this was the front or back of our Syd the Whippet. The answer is told with a smile below :)



I have been busy this week answering questions from university students about the business and have a talk tomorrow to some fashion students...ye gads, but I do like a public talk. Lots of fabric still going up on the website and I am photographing like a mad woman. Loving work, I have to say. Some of my fave recent photos are below...enjoy!

Is it the front or the back?

Just a bit of fun for Tuesday...

Syd the Whippet felt the cold this morning - we couldn't put enough pillows or blankets on his bed, as far as he was concerned. I couldn't help but take this photo above - is it the front or back of Syd the Whippet?

Answer coming tomorrow...:)

Just remember to stop...to admire

Where would we be without beauty surrounding us every day?

I just have to teach myself to stop doing what I am doing to sit and admire.

Beauty is everywhere. You just have to settle your mind to find it.

Happy Friday to you all, peeps - I hope you have a fabulous weekend with much beauty in your days...

xNess

The Pooch, the Wotty and the Houses

The pooch has gone out in sympathy and has decided to put a rash all over his whippet botty and legs. So off to the vet we went and pooch came home after getting lots of pats and treats and with lots of those pooch drugs.



Lots of pooch drugs meant lots of sleeping on his bed. Ahem - yes, he does sleep on a flokati. What type of vintage loving dog wouldn't, I ask you? And, yes, that is a Wot Wot. He loves his 'wotty' - that was care of the three-year-old. Whippets love little fluffy things. I think the pooch would prefer if 'wotty' was live but we won't go there...



And then it was on to taking 104 photos of fabric to put onto the website. This is one of my favourite shots. Very London. Very England. Very Jane Austen when the characters leave the country to go to town. Love.

The buzz

There's nothing like a good flower to cheer up your day, I say. I have been on some type of floral bender since Friday, taking photo upon photo of fabric with...well...flowers. Big ones, small ones, 80s ones, 60s ones, black ones and every colour under the sun ones. When I look at them all ironed and in line to have their lovely photo taken it gives me a little buzz. Gotta love that vintage fabric buzz, I say.

If you want some floral buzz go here - and there are more to come!

Fly

There is nothing you can do but move forward. That is what I have realised since going on an amazing up and down journey since finding out about the arthritis. Now I am in the search for how to make life a little easier on myself. Sure, I could sit and feel sorry for myself 24/7 (and I am doing that a little, still) and life would be bleak, but I have to choose to want to fly and enjoy life in ways that I can. I am on a learning curve that life has dealt out of the blue - I am learning something every day. Like the fact I felt I could move tonnes of rocks in the garden without my back hurting. Nope - today it is much worse. So I can strike moving rocks off my 'can do' list and pop it on the 'Justin can do it' list. There is always an alternative, I am realising. And the alternative to feeling a little blue about the situation is to enjoy life the way it is.

I am sure once the shock of it all settles I'll come back to posting about vintage fabric goodness. I am still working as much as ever and the days are largely as they always have been. So I am sure I will return to normal programming shortly!

xNess

PS. Did you see all of the florals and botanicals I have popped on the site over the weekend? It's an 80s floral fest!

You know what - there's nothing to complain about!

I've snapped back to my old self and have left the self-pity at the front door. I have nothing to be sad about - arthritis is not a death sentence and there will be ways and means I can maintain it so that it doesn't get worse in the short term. We have famines in Africa, debt crisis worldwide, people killed and maimed every day going about their business...and I got arthritis. I say suck it up, Ness. Get on with it. Life is too wonderful to let something like this ruin your day.

Have a great weekend, peeps!

xNess

The kicker

So, I was on a high. Life was good - I thought my back was getting in order and I was looking forward to it being fixed by some magical finger-massaging-coaxing-back-to-life osteopath. Our plans for the business and our life are chugging forward and each day brings something to be thankful for - what more could I ask for?

Well - great health would be a start, I suppose.

I came down with a thud on Tuesday when scan results of my back came back for judgement day. Seems my lower back has osteoarthritis. Yep - I'm 38 and I have arthritis in my spine. For the rest of my life.

Well - what a kicker. It side-swiped me. I was one of those nongs who thought you had to be older to have arthritis. Ahem - nope, it can happen to anyone.

So, I have to learn how to live with this. First stop is to slowly take off weight to remove extra pressure on my spine and back muscles. Looks like no more visits to Brunetti's in Melbs for a while...drats, I say. Double drats.

Or, as my son says, dang it. Dang it badly!

I am totally smitten

I am not usually one to fall head over heels for cute novelty prints of fabrics. I am more the psychedelic kind of vintage fabric gal.



But when super cute scottie dogs are this super cute then you can't help but feel smitten immediately.



The little chaps (or chapettes) are on a violet, olive green and chocolate brown harlequin pattern. Perhaps I should really pop it in my own stash after all? I'll have to think on this again - for now, it's for sale here.

xNess